'A120 is too narrow and like a dirt track' says HGV driver

by ·
12 Jun, 18

A LORRY driver has compared the A120 near Harwich to a dirt track as he welcomes calls to dual the road. Andy Page of Garland Road, Parkeston has been an HGV driver for more than 20 years and says improvements are well overdue. He is supporting the Harwich Standard’s campaign to call on the Department of Transport to fund the dualling of the A120 from Hare Green to Harwich.

He said: “The A120 is a notorious trouble area. “The road is too narrow for Harwich International Port and the Harwich Navyard Dock I work out of. “It’s such a bad road for the toughness.

“I have a 44 tonne vehicle going over those bumps – the cabs have air suspension and the driving seats have air suspension and at times its bouncing us out of the seats. “You could get sea sick. “The amount of people, other drivers, who don’t come down there very often say they hate coming down that road.”

Andy, 53, said lorry drivers are often blamed for the state of the road but said their vehicles suffer damage due to bad road surface conditions just as cars do. He added: “I compare the road to a dirt track – it’s old and out of date and it needs to be re-done. “We’ve had cracked windscreens where it has shattered them and the steering has gone out of line.

“I’m surprised there haven’t been more accidents. “If that road was a dual carriageway Harwich would be a lot bigger and have a lot more jobs. “Harwich has become a retirement town.

“It needs to be dualled.” Historically the money to dual the A120 was meant to come from from a deal with port owners Hutchison Ports and the Government as part of a container port expansion at Bathside Bay. Now, in the face of a huge project to relay the Horsley Cross to Ramsey stretch as its concrete base has reached the end of its lifespan, there are urgent calls for action.

There are fears the container port will be years away and the town cannot wait for the work to be done. A petition has been set up calling on the Department of Transport to fund the dualling of the A120 from the Hare Green junction to Harwich. Tendring Council is set to debate the issue at it’s next cabinet meeting on June 15 at Clacton town hall.